Hi, I have a two year old tortiose. I just made a new home for him out side. It was out of a old watermelon growing pot. I left the old soil in and add a small top coat of eco earth. Is the planting soil ok for him?
Is plant soil ok?
- Thread starter bmeza2
- Start date
Plant soil usually has additives that you don't want for a tortoise substrate. If it's old and you haven't fertilized in like 3 months or more and your tortoise doesn't dig down to it to eat those little white balls that are usually in it, it would be okay. But, I would not use it if it were me.
There are an awful lot of seed heads on that plant. I don't know what it is, but I'd pull it before the seeds get dispersed in the wind. If you find out it's edible, you can leave it.
I'm just curious, and not trying to be a smart alec, but why do you ask if you should keep the soil, then when you're told by one of our members that they wouldn't use it, you say you're keeping it. ???
The dirt is going to be temporary for the cage. Also I don't want to put home back in his old one ( It is way to small). I just wanted to know any immediate danger the soil will have. And all the problems she listed does not affect him. He does not dig, he only eats his food.And I been watching him for 3 hours in his home and none of the problems have occour. Also he seems so happy about his new home.
See those little white bits in the soil? That is perlite. Tortoises eat it. It can be deadly. It breaks down and lines their digestive tract. You need to get the tortoises out of there ASAP and don't put him back until the perlite is gone.
I'm not exaggerating. I've had tortoise die for no apparent reason and necropsy revealed a "gray sandy sludge" lining the GI tract. It was perlite.
You have a sulcata and it will dig from time to time. There is a risk of the perlite surfacing so keep an eye on it.
Speedy-1
Well-Known Member
You are obviously determined to use it , I really cant understand why you bothered to ask ?
THEELEG
Well-Known Member
How hard is it to change it out?? Live in TX?? I'll be more than happy to do it for you
Unfortunately, soil and dirt have a habit of mixing together and sulcatas tend to really help the process along.
I know its a pain in the rear and you don't even want to think about it, but imagine your tortoise dying a slow painful death of starvation even though he's still trying to eat. You'll see the lethargy and misery in his behavior. Imagine how you will feel if your your tortoise dies because you didn't want to spend the time and effort to remove the perlite infused soil…
C'mon man. You can do it. Once that first shovel breaks ground the time will fly by and you'll be done before you know it.
Where are you? THEELEG will help if you are near him. I'll come help if you are near me in SoCal. I'll even bring a pack of shovels. If your over 21, I'll bring some Coronas, you can invite some friends and we will have a digging party!
